The present invention is related to a self-detachable bicycle auxiliary wheel bracket for connection of an auxiliary wheel to a bicycle.
A regular bicycle auxiliary wheel bracket serves as a connector to connect an auxiliary wheel to the free-wheel of a bicycle so as to stabilize the whole bicycle structure during riding. It is very helpful to little children or the people who start to learn riding a bicycle. Due to some drawbacks in structure, the auxiliary wheel bracket tends to incline during operation and interfere with its function.
FIG. 1 illustrates a kind of auxiliary wheel bracket 1 of the prior art wherein the bracket 1 has an elongated retainer plate 11 connected thereto at the top, which retainer plate 11 has a retainer portion defining therein a notch 12. When the auxiliary wheel bracket 1 is connected to the free-wheel axle of a bicycle, the retainer plate 11 has its notch 12 mounted on the rod 14 of the rear fork 13 of the bicycle. Because the elongated retainer plate 11 extends from the bracket 1 for a certain length, a high moment of resistance will exist between the notch 12 and the locking nut 15 when the bracket 11 is bearing a transverse push force. Therefore, the retainer portion of the notch 12 tends to break away from its engaged position with the rod 14 and cause the bracket 1 to turn aside.
FIG. 2 illustrates another kind of auxiliary wheel bracket according to the prior art wherein the bracket 2 includes a plurality of locking holes 21 having radial threads respectively made thereon, which bracket 2 is mounted on the free-wheel axle 22 and connected to the rear fork 23 by means of a stop plate 24 set at the inner side. The stop plate 24 has radial threads formed thereon and is mounted on the free-wheel axle 22 by means of a screw-joint, and a nut 25 screwed up therewith at the outer side. According to this structure, a high moment of resistance will result between the bracket 2 and the free-wheel axle 22 during rotation of the free-wheel, and damage the engagement of the radial threads between the locking holes 21 and the stop plates 24.
Further, either one of the above-described auxiliary wheel brackets is very difficult to mount onto the free-wheel axle of a bicycle. It requires professional skill to operate. When attaching either type of these brackets, the nut which locks up the rear fork to the free-wheel axle of a bicycle must first be removed, and thereafter reattached to the free-wheel axle after the bracket has been mounted on the free-wheel axle.
According to the above conventional mounting procedure, some disadvantages may be encountered, which may include the following:
1. The free-wheel of the bicycle may deviate from the central position. When the nut which locks up the rear fork onto the free-wheel axle is removed, the free-wheel will immediately break away from the right correct position on the free-wheel axle. After reassembly, the free-wheel may not be properly set to the correct and balanced position. In consequence, the wheel tire tends to wear away.
2. The drive chain tends to become loose. When the nut which locks up the rear fork onto the free-wheel axle is removed from the free-wheel axle, the drive chain will come loose. Since the adjustment of the tension of a bicycle drive chain requires professional technique and tools to achieve, people may neglect or tend not to adjust the tension of the drive chain when the lock nut for free-wheel axle is reattached to the free-wheel axle after having been removed therefrom. Therefore, the drive chain tends to break away from its engaged position with the sprocket.
It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a bicycle auxiliary wheel bracket which is simple to mount onto the free-wheel axle of a bicycle without removing the lock nut which locks up the free-wheel axle of the bicycle and which provides a stable connection of an auxiliary wheel to the bicycle.
According to the present invention, a bicycle auxiliary wheel bracket is provided having an integral recess at the inner top side for receiving therein the nut which locks up a bicycle free-wheel axle, which recess includes a through-hole in the center for insertion therethrough of the bicycle free-wheel axle, and a pair of projecting rods disposed at both lateral sides of said recess for respectively inserting into the front notch of the forked connecting end of the rear fork of the bicycle to stabilize the connection of the bicycle auxiliary wheel bracket to the free-wheel axle.